Project Aims

Improve Historical Job Quality Measurement

The first goal of the Work and Wellbeing in History project is to improve the Historical Occupational Quality Index (HOQI) to more accurately measure the quality of jobs in the past. We are working on empirical weights for the components of the index, developing a systematic approach to analyze the quality of historical workplaces, and constructing detailed criteria to measure workers' control over their labor.

Extend Systematic Analysis of Past Jobs

The second goal of the project is to add dimensions to the HOQI, which currently analyzes wellbeing on-the-job. We will build an approach to measure the quality of commuting (travel-to-work) encompassing transit time, options, and hazards (accidents and disease risks). We will also extend the HOQI with a metric for career quality, combining the quality of jobs in a career ladder with the probability of promotion and the potential benefits of occupational pensions.

Integrate Historical and Contemporary Research on Work-Related Wellbeing

Finally, we are working to link historical job quality measurement with the extensive research on present-day occupations. If you are a present-day work researcher interested in connecting with us, we would be delighted to hear from you!